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With over 4,000 years of history, China has developed a rich and complex musical legacy. The Imperial Music Bureau was established during the Qin Dynasty, somewhere between 221 – 207 BCE. Yet that was already well after a Chinese musical culture had developed. Yayue (“elegant music”), a style of ceremonial and court music, was part of China dating from the Zhou Dynasty (1122 – 256 BCE). Eventually, a second style of classical Chinese music developed, often called “literati.” These two sophisticated musical styles grew in the courtly and imperial communities, as well as monasteries, of historical China, while a diverse collection of folk music was created in the provinces. These classical forms of music were kept to imperial court and elite society, yet the Imperial Music Bureau was active in encouraging the development of and recognizing folk music too.
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Have you ever wished that you could create music, but felt hampered by your limited skills? Or maybe you’ve never had any formal musical training but wish you could write your own songs? You aren’t alone. Apple created GarageBand, an innovative music app tool developed, for musicians of all levels. Professionals and novices can easily generate one-of-a-kind masterpieces with the apple-based software.
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If you’ve recently decided to dust off your string instrument after years of avoidance, you’re not alone. Many adults want to try playing again after a long hiatus, but wonder if they’ll even remember the basics. Relearning your string instrument is a lot like riding a bike. You know the fundamental process and can balance fairly well, but your muscles will have atrophied a little. You shouldn’t hop on a bike and do a marathon, but you can gradually build up your strength.
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Musicians who want to excel often feel daunted by failures. Exiting a stage in the wake of an embarrassing, or inferior solo performance is one of the worst emotions a budding student can experience. In fact, there’s only two responses to that occurrence, you either become so discouraged that you decide to pursue some other outlet, or the shame inspires you to overcome your failure.
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During the first few weeks of music instruction, the excitement of learning to play a string instrument makes practicing fun. New students are often eager to try to improve their skills and will grab their instrument and practice with gusto. However after a while, your daily practice regimen can begin to pale. Once you get stuck in a rut, practicing becomes more like a dreaded chore rather than an opportunity to improve. Although you know that regular practice is crucial for development, when your routine feels monotonous, the benefits you can gain actually begin to diminish.
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Ear training is often one of the most dreaded parts of the music education. Beginner string musicians typically focus on the basics, such as trying to ensure correct pitch and timing in their execution. Yet, ear training provides the foundation for connecting music theory with the sounds heard. In fact, it’s one of the first classes music students take in college. So, knowing why ear training is important and how to do a few exercises on your own can not only help you later in your music education, it can help you become a better musician right now.
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Great news for cellists! Mimi Zweig has a whole new section for cellists on her website stringpedagogy.com.
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